Life gets Real
1381 Words
It didn't take long for Damian to get her dressing room ready. She was soon dancing her heart out and making quiet a bit of money. She was also utilizing the dance studio in the loft daily. Brady joined her most days to watch her. He was fast becoming her biggest fan. He set up an easel and began drawing and painting her. He made a complete set of paintings and was excited to add them to his show that was coming up soon. He called her his muse. She laughed and told him she knew she was just his flavor of the month.
After several weeks and some advertising she was becoming very popular at the club. On the nights that she was on stage the place was usually packed. Dominic had told her that if it continued, then they were going to have to start taking reservations. Damian was getting closer to her as well. Often meeting her after the night was through at her dressing room. On the nights that Silver didn't work and Scott was picking her up Dominic gave her a ride home, but she always walked down before work to clear her mind.
She made weekly calls to her Da, to let him know she was good and was close to paying off the hospital bill. She went shopping with Silver and they did the maney, petti thing at least once a week. She was happy. Things were comfortable.
Then about a month after everything seemed to settle into a routine, she was slammed in the face with real life again.
She had just turned down the alleyway that took her to the back door of the club. Her usual way in. Silver wasn't working today so she was alone. The weather was a bit rainy. She was actually enjoying it. It reminded her of Seattle. She was going over her movements for the night in her head. picturing her dance ahead of time to plan for any little hick up. She heard loud voices then a scream. She had just come around a corner and heard a girl crying and screaming. She looked up and a tall blonde man was standing over a pretty girl in a yellow rain coat. He had his back to her so she couldn't see his face. The girl was clutched by the coat and he was screaming in her face. Calling her awe full names and demanding money from her. She was whimpering loudly that she didn't have any and he pushed her to the ground then pulled a gun from under his jacket, pointed it at her then just pulled the trigger. Twice! The explosion of the gun stunned Saoirse . She froze in her tracks. Blood went flying everywhere. He yelled into her dead face face, "b***h!" Then kicked her dead body. Saoirse backed up around the corner and pressed herself against the building. She started shivering and crying silently. She couldn't move. She was too afraid she'd be noticed by the guy with the gun.
She took a couple of deep breaths then cautiously peeked around the corner. That was when she saw his face. He was blonde, about forty something and wore glasses. Black dark rims. He also had a scar down the right cheek. He pushed his wet hair off his face and looked around. Not seeing her, he quickly walked away in the other direction. She stayed there for several minutes. Hiding up against the wall. Then she pulled her phone out of her pocket and called the club. Even though it was only two blocks away, she was afraid to move.
It rang several times before Dominic answered. "Angel Wings, Dominic."
Tears poured down her face with the rain. "Dom?" She said quietly. "Um it's me Irish." She started to cry in earnest. "I...Think I need help."
"Irish? Where are you sweetheart? Whats wrong." She heard movement over the line and knew he was moving quickly up the stairs to Damian's office. "Come on honey. Talk to me." She heard the extension pick up and heard Damian growl. "Saoirse. Are you okay?" He asked gently.
She started crying harder when she heard his gentleness. "He killed her." She whispered. Gripping the phone closer to her mouth. "The man. He...He shot her and killed her. I saw him!"
She could tell both men were moving. "Where are you baby? I'm coming to get you." Damian said.
"Alley. Two blocks away. Damian. I'm afraid. What if he's still there? Hiding. Waiting for me."
"You stay where you are. I'm coming babe." He hung up and she knew he was on his way. She stayed pasted to the side of the building. It didn't take her long to hear a car coming up the alley. It stopped beside the body of the girl in the yellow rain coat.
Saoirse poked her head around the corner to see who it was and recognized Damian and Dominic. She stepped out on unsteady feet and moved towards them. Damian saw her and quickly gathered her up into his arms. He hugged her tightly. He pressed her face into his chest and put her into the car. "Don't look sweetheart. Lay down in the seat and stay down. Please." He shook out a blanket and put it around her tucking it around her legs. She laid back in the seat and kept trembling. Damian closed the door and went over to where Dominic was bending over the body. His cell phone in his hand. "I called it in. I'll wait here for the cops. You get her back to the club."
Damian nodded. "Don't mention her."
Dominic agreed. "It's Lena. The girl we let go a couple weeks ago." Dominic said.
"Handle the cops, then get back to the club. Tell them you were out catching a smoke and heard shots and came to investigate."
"Will do."
Damian got back in the car and drove back to the club. He parked then opened the back seat to help her get out. Keeping the blanket wrapped around her shoulders he led her inside and up the stairs to his office. Then he opened the door into the apartment just off. He settled her onto a white leather sofa and quickly fix her a stiff drink. She just sat there. Staring off. He held the glass to her lips and asked her to take a sip. She did. Then she shivered and started crying again. He gathered her into his arms and just kept talking to her in low tones. After a while she settled down. She hick upped a couple times. Then she pushed back in his arms and met his brown eyes.
"I saw him Damian." She whispered. "I saw his face. He was so angry! He was yelling and calling her names. Demanding she give him something and money. I couldn't hear everything. Then he pushed her into the mud, pulled a gun and shot her. There was blood everywhere." Tears kept tracking down her cheeks. "Why would anyone do that to someone else?" She looked at him and waited for an answer.
He didn't have one for her. He wished he did, but he didn't. His own record was spotty at best. He'd done some things that he was sure Saoirse would find detestable, but he had never killed a woman.
There was a knock at the door and Dominic stuck his head in. "Cops are taking her in to the medical examiners office. They said they'll need me to go down and make a report in the morning."
Saoirse looked up at him. "Should I go with you?' Tears still on her cheeks. "To give them an identification?"
Dominic stared at her. "Why honey? Do you know who he is?"
"Well no, but I saw him. Maybe I can go through they're books of criminals and ID him."
Dom smiled gently. "Why don't you tell us what he looked like. We'll keep you out of this. That way he doesn't know you saw him."
She looked first at Damian, then at Dominic. "You think he might come after me don't you?' Her fear clear in her eyes.
"Not if we find him first." Damian growled.
- Writer
